


A Second Chance

by Procrastination_is_my_specialty



Category: Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Not Incest, Protective Siblings, just finished the game and I'm in my feels so here's a fic, no sirree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Procrastination_is_my_specialty/pseuds/Procrastination_is_my_specialty
Summary: Daniel died unexpectedly five years ago, leaving Sean and Esteban mourning and unable to move on. But one morning, Sean is given the opportunity to fix everything when he is zapped 5 years into the past. Would he able save his little brother this time? Or is Daniel’s faith set in stone?
Relationships: Daniel Diaz & Sean Diaz, Sean Diaz & Lyla Park
Comments: 22
Kudos: 45





	A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly this is just an excuse to write about some brotherly love because the game and the Diaz brothers got me in my feelings.

He enters their house, bone weary from a strenuous day at work. The lights were still on and he hears music coming from the garage. He glances at his watch and notes the time. _10:30pm_. His dad was overworking himself again, which doesn’t surprise him at all, given the current date. This was his father’s way of coping every time his brother’s death anniversary comes around. Guess they both had that in common considering Sean spent the whole day at work as well.

At 21, Sean should have been in college. Studying art or being a part of the track team just as he dreamed. But that seemed so far away now. Things have drastically changed since the incident, and now the thought of leaving their home and his dad …. _and Daniel_ , seems impossible, unthinkable. Leaving his home, making new memories; all those seemed great before. But now he despises the idea, fearing that every new memory he makes, replaces the precious remaining memories he had of his brother. What little he had.

April 9th. It was unspoken, no one brought it up. Not dad, not him, not Lyla. No one brings up the fact that his brother died alone that day. Mangled and broken, as he laid dying on the pavement a few minutes from their home, in a secluded road. Probably a hundred more steps and he would have been home, safe and sound. But alas, a drunk driver ended a short life that day. He was discovered 2 hours later in a pool of blood; his body no longer warm, and his heart no longer beating.

Sean wouldn’t able to sleep for the next few weeks. His dad doesn’t talk about it, but the bag under his eyes following the event said the same story. Their minds were occupied with the thought of Daniel’s final moments. Being alone, with no one to help him. Daniel always hated being alone.

Sean believes that the universe has a personal vendetta against them. Why else would Daniel die just two days shy away from his birthday? It was fate laughing at them; taunting them with what could have been. Tainting the birthdate of his brother, with a dark and unremovable stain that will haunt the remaining Diaz’s for the rest of their lives.

April 9th, that’s the quietest day of the year for their household. And people in their neighborhood luckily doesn’t pester them too much about it either. Even Brett and his family. Silence is much better than a hundred “I’m sorry for your loss” or “I know what you’re going through” spiels. Because all those statements were lies. They wouldn’t know what he’s going through; losing the most important person in your life, the person you were supposed to look out for, feeling like your heart has been ripped out of your chest … they wouldn’t know.

Sean walks towards his room, ready to call it a night. But he stops just in front of his brother’s room. If he closes his eyes, he could still feel Daniel; he could see him as if he never left, could hear his voice as if he was just there. _Hey Sean, how was work_?

He enters his brother’s room, his heart aching, feeling the loss amplify. It still smells like Daniel; the smell of his favorite citrus shampoo mixed with baby powder. Even 5 years later, it still brings tears to his eyes.

The room is untouched. Neither him nor his dad felt strong enough to move anything. Doing so finalizes it; makes it a reality that the youngest Diaz was gone. So, they left everything the way Daniel had left it. It was a small comfort for a horrendous loss.

He walks around, fondly and solemnly looking at toys that had been left abandoned. Many of which were toys that had been passed down from Sean. He stops by his brother’s desk, eyeing abandoned homework sheets, and random doodles on scraps of paper.

He grabs one in particular. It was a drawing of him with a superhero cape on, winking confidently, throwing a thumbs up. He remembered Daniel trying to hide it from him to no avail; embarrassed and whining upon being caught. It was an art assignment for a simple prompt: ‘Who do you look up to’.

He grips the edge of his brother’s desk to steady himself. A feeling of tremendous grief suddenly overwhelming him. _Enano_.

He often tries to imagine what Daniel would have looked like, sounded like. What new hobbies he would have picked up if his life wasn’t robbed from him by some drunken bastard. He had so much life to live. So much potential wasted. He would have been 13 years old now if-

He sets the drawing down gently on the desk, suddenly feeling exhausted; both emotionally and physically. He really needs to go to bed.

_Sean, are you okay?_

He jumps, startled out of his mind. _What the fuck was that_. He turns around frantically, heart beating hard against his sternum.

_“Sean?”_

It was louder this time, making Sean jump out of his skin once again.

“Daniel?” he answers, feeling stupid, yet-. The voice. It was right there. He hears Daniel in his head sometimes, but this time felt different. This time, the voice felt _real._ Like he could just reach out and-

“Daniel?!” he shouts again more frantically upon hearing no response. The room suddenly starts spinning and Sean finds himself tilting. Vision turning black as he falls towards the ground.

* * *

“-ean?” he groans at the tapping sensation on his cheek.

“Hijo …”

 _Go away_.

“Come on son, the floor is going to hurt your back” _Dad?_ What-

He tries to open his eyes, confused at how heavy his lids felt. He felt deep ache all over his body, especially his head and he groans in response. _Fuck, what happened to me_.

“Take it easy son, you just took a massive tumble”. His dad explains from somewhere above him. He pries his eyes open and his gaze locks on to his dad who’s kneeling over him, face pinched with concern.

His gaze roams around as he tries to orient himself. He’s still in his brother’s room that much was certain, but now there’s light coming from the windows. _Fuck, how long was he out for?_

He makes an attempt to sit up, but he felt absolutely weak and drained. Not even a second later, he slumps back on the ground with a soft thud.

“It’s alright hijo, lemme help you”, his dad states, gently maneuvering him so he was now leaned against a wall. The sudden change in position made him dizzy. _God, his head._

He heard his dad yell to someone else, _“_ Hurry, bring him water”, but his head was spinning, vision warping and blurring, so he couldn’t concentrate. He shut his eyes, willing the room to hold steady.

Suddenly he felt cold glass on his lips. “Small sips hijo _”_ his dad orders. He obliged, keeping his eyes closed. He still felt so disoriented and woozy, like he just woke up from a 20-year nap. That’s what he gets for working two shifts back to back he supposes. He makes a mental note never to make that mistake again.

“Is he okay, dad?”

He barely heard the quiet voice over the roaring in his head. But it was enough. Sean’s eyes snap open at the question. _It can’t be._ He knows that voice. He hears it in his head often, even after his death, but this time-

His vision is blurry at first, light from the nearby window making everything fuzzy and disorienting. But he could recognize that kid anywhere. The little kid who’s now in front of him, staring up at him in concern. That little kid that he hasn’t seen in 5 years, exactly as he remembered him. Shaggy hair, a mole under his left eye and another two on his right cheek, wide eyes ….

Daniel.

 _This was a dream_. This _has_ to be a dream. Sean would pinch himself to check but seeing his brother in front of him has rendered him useless; unable to move.

“Daniel?” he asks softly, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape from shock. He doesn’t move, too afraid to do anything that might wake him, that might remove him from this.

He watches as Daniel and his dad exchange concerned looks, before Daniel moves closer to him, grabbing at his arm with tiny hands. It felt solid and real. “Yeah Sean?”

“Daniel ….” he exhales, reaching out to his brother with one hand, tears now falling freely from his eyes. He gently caresses his brother’s cheek, it felt warm and real under his fingers. He then moves his hand down to press it against Daniel’s chest, feeling a strong heartbeat underneath his palm. He retracts his hand as if he was just burned before openly sobbing as he hugged himself. He didn’t know if this was a dream or a nightmare, whatever this was, it was cruel. And Sean didn’t know if he wanted to stay or wake up.

“Dad, what’s going on with him?” Daniel asks their father. Eyes turning rapidly from Sean’s hunched, form, to his concerned father.

“I don’t know mijo, but it looks like he hit his head harder than I thought. Let’s get him checked out in a hospital.” Esteban replied; brows furrowed with concern at his oldest son’s odd behavior. _Was this a concussion?_ _Brain damage?_ Esteban moved quickly, the sudden thought of his son getting brain damage making him feel distressed and frantic.

Sean, too tired and too shocked to do anything else let his father man handle him all the way to their car. Practically dragging him along the way. “It’s okay Sean, one step at a time alright?” Sean could only cry in response _because this wasn’t real._

On the ride to the hospital, Sean just stares at Daniel, trying and failing to stop the tears from falling. Especially when Daniel was right there sitting next to him, occasionally reaching over to rub his arm. _“Why are you crying Sean?” “We’re almost at the hospital” “Does your head still hurt?”_

This wasn’t real, this was a dream. Sean knew this, but this doesn’t stop him from pretending to be a big brother again, even just for a little while. He reaches out to cup his brother’s cheek once again. “I’m alright enano, I’m alright now.” He reassures Daniel.

Daniel didn’t seem convinced. But Sean was content at just looking at his little brother, trying to study his face, anything that he may have forgotten over the years. Just staring while he can; knowing that he could wake up in any moment to a world where his little brother was somewhere he couldn’t follow.


End file.
